By AIDAN KNIGHT
RETURNING to Village Cinemas Morwell this month is the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) regional showcase.
As the festival enters its 73rd year, the regional showcase will be rolling out its red carpet for nine towns around Victoria’s rural areas to host a curated selection of festival films across two weekends.
The other participating regional cities include Sale, Ballarat, Bendigo, Castlemaine, Geelong, Shepparton, Rosebud.
From this Friday (August 15) to 17 and August 22-24, filmgoers at Morwell will be treated to six acclaimed titles from the prestigious event, headlined by the highly anticipated documentary But Also John Clarke – a film mourning the New Zealand-born comedian, narrated by his daughter Lorin, which will open the festival leg in Morwell this Friday.
Other films screening in the reginal showcase include:
Careless – a documentary exploring how older Australians fight to age with independence and dignity;
Sorry, Baby – a Sundance favourite backed by A24 and praised for its heartfelt humour and emotional depth;
Spreadsheet Champions – a quirky documentary following six young Excel prodigies;
One More Shot – a powerful drama from the international circuit, and;
Pavements – a genre-bending music documentary about the cult indie-rock band.
MIFF’s Artistic Director, Al Cossar said this year’s regional program was about “bringing the buzz of this year’s festival essentials” beyond the metro bubble.
“MIFF Regional and MIFF Online take this year’s must-see cinema far beyond Melbourne, in a festival for all Victorians,” he said.
Supported by VicScreen and Screen Australia, MIFF Regional also includes special filmmaker Q&As in select locations, and for those unable to attend in person, a digital version of the festival will run Australia-wide via ACMI’s Cinema 3 streaming platform from August 15-31.
Morwell audiences can find the full program and purchase tickets via the Village Cinemas website or at: miff.com.au
